Hard-fought Semi-Final for Intermediate Girls

SCHOOL SPORT VICTORIA: STATE QUARTER AND SEMI FINALS

FOOTBALL

Intermediate Girls

Quarter Final vs Ballarat High School

School football had started to get serious for the Catherine McAuley College (CMCB) Intermediate Girls as they had advanced to the Quarter Final stage, which was played in Ballarat. The Monday scheduling made it difficult for the girls to back up after their weekend footy, but they showed a strong mindset in the first game of the day as they came up against the locals from Ballarat High School (BHS). The strong breeze blowing didn’t really favour either end as it blew across the ground. The girl’s seemed a tad sore and slow in the warm-up, however they came out with all guns blazing with Hannah Cochrane and Lacey Nihill on the score board early, kicking great goals. Layla O’Brien was strong over the ball in the forward line which set up plenty of forward entries. Rania Jackson-Leahy proved to be a ball magnet. She was moved around the ground to ease her into the game, yet no matter where she played, she just kept attracting the ball. Cochrane continued to show off her impressive skills as she clunked some big marks, even though the ball was slippery from the morning dew.  After three quarters, the girls had a commanding 41-point lead so the focus shifted slightly to the next game. However the girls continued to play some great footy and went on to secure a terrific win, to qualify for the State Semi-Final.

Final Score: CMCB 7.4.46 to BHS 2.1.13

• Best Players: Lacey Nihill, Rania Jackson-Leahy, Layla O’Brien, Hannah Cochrane, Alysha Boyd
• Goal Kickers: Lacey Nihill and Alysha Boyd (2), Hannah Cochrane, Scarlett Ward and Jordan O’Bree (1)

Semi Final vs Western Heights College

The stage was set for the Semi Final. The girls pulled their sore bodies across to the main oval knowing that a win would secure them a spot in the Grand Final, to be played in a couple of weeks’ time. Western Heights College (WHC) had played their previous game on this oval, so it soon became obvious that they already had some tactical advantages in place.

Co-Captains Lacy Nihill and Hannah Cochrane won the toss and opted to kick to the end favoured by the strong breeze to try and get off to a good start. And this they did – the girls were able to lock the ball down in their forward fifty with relative ease.  On the back of some determined play Lacy Nihill picked up the ball and launched it from the centre square, sending it deep towards the right forward pocket. As it bounced it went sideways, dribbled, bounced and then the wind assisted it to blow across the ground, past a number of Western Heights players to score one of the most remarkable goals you are likely to see. Lacey unfortunately had turned away after kicking it so didn’t get the chance to appreciate her ‘leg spinner’ delivery. WHC worked to negate our time with the wind, but our girls continued to play with great spirit. WHC then managed to kick a goal against the wind, but the girls were not deterred as they went into the quarter time break, up three goals to one. They were excited by this and started to believe.

The girls put up a massive fight in the second quarter, managing to keep their opposition to just one goal and six behinds as WHC had all the play down their end due to the wind. Zarah Reynolds was a tackling machine, Evie Nuttall was strong in the ruck and around the ground and Maddie Dunn was giving plenty of drive from the backline. Lacey Nihill’s speed and fend offs were a highlight and the game was still in the balance with a half of footy left to play.

The girls again had a lot of the ball in the third quarter, as they kicked with the wind advantage, but like WHC in the previous quarter, they failed to apply any real scoreboard pressure. The girls were desperate, leaving it all out on the field and by the end of the quarter, they were once again ahead, by the smallest of margins, a solitary point.  They knew that if we could once again negate WHC’s forward bursts and get a goal against the wind in the final quarter, a win was most definitely a possibility.

The last quarter started with WHC locking the ball in their forward line but again were unable to convert a goal. The CMCB backline were battling hard and consistently rebounding all of the WHC attacks. Against the flow, a great link up play sequence involving Dunn, O’Bree, Nihill, Cochrane and Boyd got the ball deep inside our forward fifty, setting up an opportunity to score. The girls pestered the goals, but the breeze was proving to be an impediment. Then, just like that, the opposition were able to launch some big kicks down the ground and kick a goal with only two minutes remaining. Western Heights College finished as the eventual winners by just 8 points, in what was a fantastic game of footy.

Final Score: CMCB 2.8.20 to WHC 3.10.28

• Best Players: Lacey Nihill, Hannah Cochrane, Maddie Dunn, Jordan O’Bree, Evie Nuttall
• Goal Kickers: Lacey Nihill and Hannah Cochrane (1)

The girls are to be congratulated with the way they played across the day, representing the College with pride and unity. They battled through, with some sore bodies and coped with losing players to injury throughout the tournament. Well done and good luck to all of you with your footballing futures.

A special mention, as always, for the hard work that Ms Holly Speed and Mrs Maree Pearce put in to make these events happen.

Thank you!

Mr Alex Code (Coach)

Carter Reid, Hudson Banfield (Helpers), Evie Nuttall, Scarlett Ward, Louise Khodja, Dempsey McDonnell, Eve Kalms, Maddie Dunn, Gemma Fox, Rania Jackson-Leahy, Ryah Mackie, Myah Humphrey, Olivia Fitzpatrick, Jasmin Wood, Mr Alex Code (Coach), Maeve Cain, Annabelle Edwards, Alannah Prowse, Jordan O’Bree, Alysha Boyd, Lacey Nihill, Hannah Cochrane, Layla O’Brien, Zarah Reynolds, Hannah Guo, Madisyn Morrison